


Tooth and Claw and Ketchup Stains

by 1nky



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Gasterblaster AU, Gen, SkeleFrisk AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 13:11:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 6,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10945194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1nky/pseuds/1nky
Summary: It's hard to make spaghetti without thumbs, and it's hard to relax when you're ten-sizes larger than usual.Still, you gotta try to get on with your day.(A series of (mostly fluffy) Gasterblaster AU drabbles and one-shots written on my Tumblr. Decided to arrange them here. Some can tie into my main fic, Spectrum)





	1. Racecar Bed - Oneshot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Rocithefangirl.

It was usually Sans.

He wasn’t loud about it. Most of the time, he would simply bolt upward from slumber - no other noise than an intake of air. Maybe a flicker of blue in his eye sockets. Small rips in his mattress from claws that had appeared and then vanished just as suddenly.

It was usually Sans who had night terrors. He’d see images and scenarios again and again. Sometimes, he knew they were dreams - and other times he genuinely believed he was in danger. 

Sometimes, it was a knife. Thorns. A claw. A blast.

A hand.

It was usually Sans who dreamed of such things. And it was usually Sans who had claw marks on his bedroom floor. It was usually him who changed, who curled in the corner of his room, confined to the small space until he’d regained both the size and the opposable thumbs required to use the door.

It was usually Sans who didn’t want to be approached, or touched in that state.

The boards creaked. The beast growled tiredly in response, its orange-lit eye sockets staring back at him. It was more a plea than a threat, and Sans stopped his approach.

He sat down, slowly, on Papyrus’ flame-pattern carpet.

“okay.”   


He drew in a deep breath. “you’re okay. we got the whole night.”

The beast didn’t move for another five long minutes. But soon enough, Sans (risking nodding off in the darkness of his brother’s room) was startled by a long and slender skull nuzzling into his side.   


The beast whined, orange lights fixed on him, and Sans slowly stroked his snout.

“you can go back to sleep if you want, baby bones.” He offered. “m’stayin’ right here. nothing can getcha. i promise.”   


The beast stared hard at him, a flicker of stubbornness managing to overtake his fearful features. The orange of his eye sockets began to pale, slightly, and Sans petted the side of his skull.

“not feelin’ like sleeping, huh?” The older skeleton yawned. “that’s cool, too.”   


Wasn’t what he was used to. In Papyrus’ position, he would have usually dropped straight back to sleep once he knew he wasn’t in danger. It wasn’t preferable, but he was usually too tired to wait to change back.

Papyrus wouldn’t settle down unless he’d returned to normal. 

Sans blinked, thinking harder.

Well, he did settle down _once_ \- but the other couple times, Papyrus had wanted to be small enough to fit back into his racecar bed.

There wasn’t really a pattern to it, the older skeleton decided, watching the beast’s eye sockets flutter closed. It hadn’t happened enough times to Papyrus. 

  


… It was usually Sans. 


	2. Snowball - Drabble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by TheNinjaMouse.

“SANS, THE POINT OF A FRIENDLY CONTEST IS _CONTESTING!_ YOU CAN’T EXPECT ME TO CARRY THIS FIGHT ALL ON MY OWN!!!”

Papyrus stood with his arms crossed, his latest snowball of hundreds clutched in one red mitt. Before him lay his beastly brother, slumbering peacefully under a blanket of accumulated snowballs.

“I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE CURRENTLY HANDICAPPED - NOT HAVING HANDS AND ALL - BUT AT LEAST MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO DODGE!” Papyrus marched up to Sans’ skull, raising a hand and knocking on a patch of cranium still visible from beneath the snow. “HONESTLY, BROTHER, ARE YOU EVEN _LISTENING??_ ARE YOU EVEN AWAK - ”

Sans suddenly pushed himself to his feet. 

A wave of freezing white knocked Papyrus backwards off his feet. He landed hard on his back, pinned to the ground by the heavy pile of snow.

There was a pause.

And then, Sans lay back down, chuffing as his eyes slid closed once more.


	3. The Dog Park - Drabble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by an anon.

The flurry of action had stopped dead. 

Big dogs, little dogs, and all sizes in-between had stopped playing. A scarce few came to inspect the latest arrival to the park. Many owners had chosen to leash up their curious canines, and scurry on home. A few remained at a distance with their dogs, holding them by the collar.

“Oh, _my_ … what did you feed him to make him grow so large?”   


Frisk wished that they could disappear, then and there. But the large Blaster standing attentively beside them made this an impossible feat.   


“… um… a lot of… calcium?”   


The little old lady, the only human brave enough to approach them, gave an understanding nod. “Oh, I see! Well, it certainly shows. You must give him plenty of bones.”

Frisk blinked, looking back at Papyrus. “I-I… guess?”

The Blaster was currently glowering at the little old lady’s dog. It was a small, white canine that had trotted up to him, panting happily.

“… So, what breed did you say it was?”   


Frisk bit their lip. “It’s, um… it’s a monster breed.” Papyrus had lowered his head down level to the small canine, giving it a small growl. “A, um… Blaster…anian? Very exotic.”

“Yes?” The old lady tilted her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen something like this..”   


Frisk nodded, curtly. “Y-Yeah.”

“Oh, these are _exciting_ times, aren't they?” The old lady continued, her eyes bright. “It’s always wonderful to learn new things. My little Toby thinks so, too. He's so enthusiastic about every new thing he sees.”   


The little white dog yipped at Papyrus, who raised a brow. It then gave his snout a lick, and the big bone monster flinched, huffing.

Frisk gave a small, genuine smile.

“Yeah…”   


 

… They tried to ignore the sound of Sans nearby, laughing helplessly from behind a tree.


	4. Sweet Spot - Drabble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anon.

It would have almost been embarassing, if it didn’t feel so nice.

Sans was currently on his back, a throaty purr rumbling throughout the ground. Frisk stood nearby, scratching his upper-left collarbone - a particularly hard place to reach for the Blaster. They’d been startled when their friend had suddenly collapsed to the forest floor, but now they resumed their petting with a grin of suppressed giggling.

_< sssave it, kid.  > _Sans hissed lazily, opening an eye socket. He was startled at the reaction he’d had, but he’d slowly relaxed into bliss.

_< I’M NOT SURE WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THIS.  >_ Papyrus trilled, sitting nearby. _ < MY BROTHER ALREADY FLOPS OVER FAST ASLEEP TO BEGIN WITH, FRISK! THIS IS NOT A THING HE NEEDED HELP WITH! >_

Sans gave a small growl in protest as Frisk stopped their petting. He shook his head a little, watching as Frisk wandered up to Papyrus, pointing at his own collarbone.

_< YOU WANT TO PET ME?  >_ Papyrus blinked, tilting his head. _< WELL, IT’S TRUE THAT WE SKELETONS DO LOVE BEING PET! BUT I CAN’T SEE MYSELF COLLAPSING SIMPLY BECAUSE OF SOME TINY FINGERNAILS.  >_

Papyrus stood up straight, placing his foreleg side-on to his chest - his practised ‘heroic pose’ that he’d managed to master on two legs _and_ four.

_< SEE? I CAN REACH IT MYSELF JUST FINE! I CAN EVEN -  >_

**Thud.**

Underneath a rising cloud of dirt, Papyrus lay on the ground, rumbling in contentment with his eye sockets closed.

Sans and Frisk shared a perplexed look.


	5. I Don't Like Sand - Oneshot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anon.

_< …at least wait until your joints stop achin’, bro,  >_

A low growl sounded. The blurred image of a large skeletal beast appeared beside him, trying in vain to stand up.   
  
_< NO! WE CAME ALL THIS WAY!  >_

_< you **just** shifted. don’t push it.  > _A small cloud of sand formed at his sigh. _< you’ve seen the pool signs, yeah? no running.  >_

_< THIS IS A **BEACH!!!** >_

Sans chuckled. _< you said it, pap.  >_

Papyrus’ limbs trembled, and he collapsed in the sand with a huff.

Well. This sure was a mess.   


The day had been weeks in the making. Undyne had insisted on seeing the coastline as soon as she’d seen pictures of the oceans. Toriel had expressed thrilled excitement in joining in - though her busy schedule as a teacher had proven this a difficult undertaking. Alphys had wanted to lie in the sun and catch up on some anime podcasts. And Frisk had just wanted to build sandcastles.

It had been moments before they had all reached their destination - a secluded but beautiful bay - that something went horribly wrong.

Maybe it was the cramped trip within the car. Maybe it was the noise. Maybe it was the pressure they were under to make this a good day. It had been months since Sans had last changed - and they’d agreed that was probably the biggest factor. But Sans had felt an all-too familiar strain in his bones. 

The moment the car had stopped, he’d thrown himself out of the door. The telltale spikes had become visible to the rest of the passengers, and they’d given him room. The change came in a rush, a repressed shift. Quick and draining and _painful_. 

Before Sans could have time to register it in its entirety, he was several times larger, lying on the sand, dazed and very, very sore.

Sans was too busy collecting his bearings to realise that something had also sparked Papyrus’ change. He’d been unpleasantly surprised to see his brother stagger in next to him, falling forward onto all fours. 

There’d been some concern over what to do next, among the small group. It wasn’t as if they could put this day on hold any longer - or transport two shaken Blasters back home. 

After some exhausted attempts of charades, it was decided that they’d continue as planned - giving the brothers space to get their bearings. Toriel lingered nearby, on the phone with Asgore to update him on their status. Undyne had charged into the seafoam to loosen up, intending to return to the small group on the shore in a few minutes. Alphys had followed her, waiting on the edge of the water. Frisk stayed, lying against Sans’ skull. 

The older skeleton was content to stay lying down. 

Papyrus was not.

_< I WAS GOING TO TRY BUILDING A FULL-SIZE CASTLE!  >_ He groaned, trying again to stand with his aching joints. _< I’VE HEARD SAND IS BETTER TO BUILD WITH THAN SNOW!  >_

He glanced at the soft and shifting dunes before him, frowning. _< THOUGH THOSE CLAIMS MIGHT BE A LITTLE EXAGGERATED.  >_

_< think they meant wet sand, bro.  >_ Sans chuffed, opening an eye. _< gotta be closer to the water.  >_

Papyrus collapsed again, groaning. _< JUST SEVENTY MORE FEET, THEN!  >_

Sans blinked. 

_< … no rush.  >_ He shifted his shoulders back, stretching his neck. Frisk sat up, looking back at him quizzically. _< …nothin’ we can do, anyway.  >_

Papyrus shakily pushed himself up again.

_< THERE’S STILL PLENTY WE CAN DO!  >_ He said, sharply. _< WE JUST HAVEN’T THOUGHT OF ANYTHING, YET.  >_

There was a silence between them. Sans heard the waves crashing against the shore, the wind whistling through their bones - Papyrus’ indignant groan at collapsing a third time.

He thought a moment, his tail twitching. Being a Blaster for a while had kind of presented itself as an obstacle, for the most part. Usually, it meant things had to be called off. People had to mobilise, or everything had to stop, just for this.

Thinking of stuff to do seemed tiresome at this point.

_< … guess we can work on our tan.  >_ He offered.   


Papyrus’ head rose, looking back at him. 

_< OR BLEACHING OUR BONES?  >_

_< collect shells?  > _Sans smirked as his brother rose from the sinking sands again, scallops and conchs clattering from his ribs. _< you’re halfway there.  >_

Papyrus brightened, suddenly. _< WE COULD SELL THEM! LIKE THAT GIRL IN THE POEM WITH POOR BUSINESS SENSE!  >_

Sans shrugged, the sun starting to bear down on his bones. He chuffed, quietly.

_< lemme know how that goes, bro.  >_

_< … YOU’RE REALLY NOT GOING TO TRY TO HAVE FUN?  >_

Both eye sockets shot open at that. Papyrus was studying at him carefully - equal parts concerned and simply irritated.

_< let’s be honest - didja picture me doing anything else while we were here?  > _Sans asked, managing a smile.

Papyrus sighed. _< I SUPPOSE NOT.  >_

_<  ‘sides. >_ Sans stretched out, causing Frisk to stand and back away. Making sure the human was clear, he rolled onto his back, a contented growl rising from his throat. _ < sun’s real nice. don’t feel so sore, anymore. >_

He heard his brother collide with the sand once more - but it sounded less like a collapse and more like he’d simply lowered himself down.

_< I JUST DON’T WANT THIS DAY TO GET AWAY - JUST BECAUSE WE HAPPEN TO HAVE THIS CONDITION.  >_ Papyrus said, lowering his head to his claws. _ < IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT WE ALL GET TO MEET UP LIKE THIS. >_

Sans lazily opened up an eye. His gaze darted to Frisk, who looked as if they were suppressing a giggle at his current position. He snorted.

_< we got the whole day.  >_ He batted gently at Frisk, who reached back at tried to scratch at his nose. _< just give your body a break, bro. definitely needs it, right now.  >_

Papyrus pulled himself up on his feet with a grunt, turning to face the two. He set himself down, Frisk hurrying over to him.

“Did you still want to make sandcastles a bit later?” They asked, scratching his snout in greeting. Papyrus gave them a nod.

_< OF COURSE! AND I EXPECT THEM TO BE INCREDIBLE!  >_ He crooned. _< WE’LL STACK THEM AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE! AND DECORATE THEM WITH ALL THE SEASHELLS! AND PROTECT THEM FROM UNDYNE’S WRATH!  >_

Something in his shoulder popped, and Papyrus let out a small, surprised yelp. He dropped his head to the warm sands, with a groan - Frisk reaching out to pet the side of his skull in sympathy.

_< … BUT FIRST, A BREAK.  > _He conceded with a sigh. _< I WANT TO BE IN PRIME CONDITION FOR OUR COMPLEX CONSTRUCTINGS.  >_

He glanced over to his brother, frowning. _< AND YOU’RE JOINING US! EVEN IF IT’S JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT!  >_

Sans shrugged, his eye sockets closing. 

_< ok.  >_

There was a silence. He heard his brother settle down, rumbling softly. But he could also feel his brother’s tension begin to ebb away as he, too, relaxed under the sunshine.

_< AND YOU’RE GOING TO HELP US COLLECT SEASHELLS.  > _Papyrus added, curtly.

_< ok.  >_

_< AND YOU’RE GOING TO PUT AT LEAST ONE TOE IN THE WATER.  >_

_< ok.  >_

_< AND YOU’RE GOING TO HELP ME PROTECT THE CASTLE AGAINST UNDYNE.  >_

_< ok.  >_

_< WHY ARE YOU STICKING YOUR CLAW IN OUR ESKI?  >_

_< didn’t you tell me to put at least one toe in the water?  >_

A loud, long-suffering groan.

_< FORGET IT!!! >_

 


	6. Yes, It Was The Song About The Wolf - Drabble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anon.

Toriel was a patient woman, for the most part.

She’d agreed to hire out a karaoke machine for Frisk. She’d been more than happy to have the skeleton brothers head over to her house for the evening. She’d tolerated the noise and occasional off-key singing while she marked school tests upstairs, with the knowledge that her child and their friends were enjoying themselves.

Then there’d been the crunch of wood and the ripping of upholstery. 

And when she’d first descended down the stairs to see what the ruckus was about, Toriel found that she was without a functioning living-room couch.

The culprit was lying on the floor, his two paws held over his face and eyes. He did not budge, not even his tail. He was paralysed into an embarrassed silence.

Sans was sitting next to him, with the kind of an amused, teasing grin that older siblings typically had. 

“i’ll spare him the ribbing. he really didn’t mean it.” He said, petting the side of his brother’s skull. Papyrus finally let out a low groan, and a smile almost crept up the corner of Toriel’s mouth. She remained stern.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Frisk was at the karaoke machine, placing the song on pause, and having dragged the microphone equipment a safe distance from Papyrus. “He just got really into it. N-none of this stuff was damaged, at least.”   


Toriel gave a deep sigh. “… as long as none of you are hurt.” She turned to the silent Papyrus, who hadn’t budged. “I simply ask that you’re more careful, next time.”

“well, he says he’s very sorry, and that it won’t happen again.” Sans raised a hand, his expression less teasing and more genuine. “i’ll help pay for a new couch, tori. least i can do. i crash there half the time, anyhow.”

Toriel approached, and petted the side of Papyrus’ skull. He peered at her through his digits, whining. She gave a gentle smile back.

Then, a thought occurred to her.

“…What band was it?”    


Sans' grin grew teasing, again. 

“duran duran.”   


There was a brief silence. 

Then, under everyone’s watch, Toriel marched up to the karaoke machine, and picked up a microphone.

“Step aside, my child.”


	7. Laser Pointer - Drabble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by anon.

_< look.  you can wave that thing around for as long as you like, cap.  >_

The Blaster was curled up on the lounge room floor. His gaze was calm and placid - though didn’t quite break focus from the little green speck flitting about the lounge room wall _._

_< all i can really see happenin’ is your arm getting tired.  > _He shrugged.

_  
_

Two minutes later, the leftmost wall of Undyne’s house was destroyed.


	8. The Oscars - Drabble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A very silly request by Brontozaurus. Written just after the 2016 Oscars goof.

“WE ARE SO, SO SORRY MISTER CULLINAN AND MS RUIZ!!!” Cried Papyrus. “THIS IS JUST A THING THAT HAPPENS, SOMETIMES!!! WE DIDN’T MEAN TO SET THAT RED ENVELOPE ON FIRE!”   


Sans shook himself out. _< my bad.  >_ He frowned at the small pile of ash before him. _< didn’t think breathin’ on paper would make it light up like that.  >_

Papyrus looked back at the stunned human duo. “I DON’T SUPPOSE YOU’D HAVE ANY MINTS?”

Martha Ruiz slowly shook her head. “Um, no. The ones we had are… currently in the rafters of the Dolby Theatre.”

“WELL THEN, WE’RE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH MY BROTHER’S HORRIBLE BREATH!” Papyrus’ shoulders hunched. “I REALLY HOPE THERE WASN’T ANYTHING IMPORTANT IN THAT ENVELOPE!”   


“Oh, no.” Brian Cullinan waved his hand. “The envelope’s empty. N-No need to worry about any of that. We can figure something out.”   


Sans peered at the white card clutched in Ruiz’s hands. _<  ‘moonlight’ for best picture, huh? guess we should check it out, sometime. >_ He stepped back. _< alrighty, bro. time to head back home. think this lil’ detour into hollywood was a bit more trouble than it was worth.  >_

He gave a small nod in farewell to the duo and turned away. Freaking out humankind wasn’t what he’d planned on this little road trip, and he preferred to skedaddle before they left a bigger impact than they usually did as monsters on the surface.

“WE REALLY ARE SINCERELY SORRY!” Papyrus said, waving his hands. “PLEASE ACCEPT MY CANTEEN OF RECONCILIATORY SPAGHETTI!”   


“Uh, no. That’s alright.” Martha Ruiz nodded. “Just, er… please leave.”   


“WHATEVER YOU SAY!!! HAVE A GOOD, UH… WHAT IS IT YOU’RE DOING TONIGHT?”   


“The Academy Awards. The Oscars.”   


“OH, I SEE! SAY HELLO TO OSCAR FOR ME!! HE SEEMS LIKE A BRIGHT AND IMPOSING FELLOW!!”    


With that, Papyrus dashed off, leaving the human duo perplexed.

“We don’t have time to commission another print of the winning envelope!” Martha hissed. “What do we do?”   


“We printed out a double of Emma Stone’s envelope, right?” Cullinan said, pointedly. “We’ll use that, instead. I’m sure the presenters will be able to read it out clearly and there’ll be absolutely no confusion or fallout.”

 

* * *

 

That night, Sans and Papyrus watched the television in mounting horror.

“What? You guys, I’m sorry, no.” Jordan Horowitz, producer of La La Land, stepped forward, holding up a slightly singed card. “There’s a mistake. “Moonlight,” you guys won best picture.”

“Guys, this is very unfortunate, what happened.” Jimmy Kimmel said, leaning in toward the microphone stand. “Personally, I blame Steve Harvey for this.” 

Papyrus stood up straight. “WE HAVE TO STEP FORWARD, BROTHER! WE CANNOT LET THIS MISTER HARVEY TAKE THE BLAME!!!”

“think it’s a joke, bro. like a lot of these awards” His gaze still fixed on the screen, Sans handed a piece of candy to his brother.   


 

“mint?”


	9. Just a Pup - Drabble (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doing a 180 into some angst. This is a prompt for the SkeleFrisk AU, in which Frisk has become a skeleton. Mostly based on Doodleimprovement's variant. Requested by anon.

Papyrus didn’t understand it.

He didn’t understand why Frisk was crouched on the carpeted floor of their room, clutching at their torso with a pained cry. He didn’t understand why their small, skeletal form was crackling with red magic.

The changes… they had happened to Papyrus, sometimes. They had happened to Sans. 

They did not happen to Frisk.

There was a snap of bone, and Papyrus darted forward into the room.

They _should not happen to Frisk._

There’d been the crackle of red, and now… now spikes (that were blunt and small and not yet full-grown because Frisk was a _child_ , they were only a _child_ ) had begun to force their way out of the back of their skull and down their spine. Frisk’s panicked gasping had begun to disintegrate into high-pitched whines, and they’d covered their mouth in response - with hands that were quickly becoming clawed and stiff and useless.

Papyrus shook as Frisk cried out one last time, before the changes surged to completion, and they fell down onto all fours. Their clothing remained intact, if not a little tattered. They were trembling violently, their tail tucked between their legs, their head low.

His SOUL clenching, Papyrus approached them slowly, mitted hands held out as he knelt to their level.

“FRISK…?”   


The pup looked up at Papyrus, and he froze when he saw eyesockets lit with red. 

Feral.

Frisk was not awake, nor aware. Their instincts were driving them, now.

He was about to reach for a BLUE attack, to make certain that the child did not hurt themself - but he was startled by a distressed wail as the pup charged into him, burying their head into the crook of his arm with imploring cries.

Papyrus automatically wrapped his arms around Frisk, his gaze fixed on the floor as he slowly stroked the back of the child’s skull. He felt the sensation of his own teeth and fingers growling the slightest bit sharper.

“OH, _FRISK_ …” he whispered, and the pup shook harder.

… He needed to call Sans.  


	10. Just A Pup - Drabble (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of Gasterblaster SkeleFrisk. Might continue on. Requested by anon.

Sans had been out shopping for snacks when he’d gotten the call.

He leapt through a few troublesome rifts before he managed to return to his house. Papyrus had sounded shaken over the phone - always a cause for concern. Hardly anything got to his brother.

He’d expected Frisk to be in a bad way.

What Sans did not expect to see was his brother, partially-changed, cradling a small, whimpering Blaster.

He saw Frisk’s sweater on the small creature. He dropped the bag of groceries to the floor.

“I’M NOT SURE HOW IT HAPPENED.” Papyrus said, his voice tinged with a trill. “THEY WERE ALL ALONE IN THEIR ROOM - I WAS ABOUT TO DIG OUT SOME OF THE PUZZLES FROM UNDER THE STAIRS.”

Frisk whimpered again, and Papyrus’ eye sockets flickered orange. He nuzzled them gently, his face having pushed out the slightest bit.

“I’M HAVING TROUBLE CALMING THEM DOWN.” He admitted, softly. “I’M NOT FEELING PARTICULARLY CALM MYSELF, RIGHT NOW.”   


Sans reached out to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“that makes the three of us, then. give ‘em here.”

The hesitation to do so was very visible in Papyrus’ features. But he complied, handing Frisk over to his brother. Sans noted his changes beginning to recede almost immediately.

He had a good look at Frisk. They felt smaller and lighter than usual. Claws sharp, but little. Spines pronounced, but blunt. 

The only semblance of relief Sans had was that they seemed to actively seek out his comfort - in spite of very much being in a feral state. They buried their head against his jacket, giving a soft whine.

“… kid…” He breathed, trying to disguise the shakiness in his voice.   


In reality, Sans had questions. Many questions, and many concerns. This wasn’t the time for them - and judging by the way his changes were rapidly receding, Papyrus was starting to convince his Blaster side of that as well.

“you’re okay.” Sans told Frisk, gently lifting them into his arms. “we’re here to help, yeah? you’re safe, you're here in our house, bud. you remember that.”   


Papyrus nodded. “IT’S MAYBE A LITTLE SMALL, AND LITTERED WITH SOCKS. NOT TO MENTION, SANS LIVES HERE."

The lankier skeleton winced, as the spikes in his skull began to recede.

"BUT IT’S PERFECTLY SAFE.” He assured them. “WE’RE RIGHT NEXT TO MY ROOM. THAT’S THE SAFEST, COOLEST PLACE OF ALL.”

Frisk looked up at them, with a whine. Sans gently stroked their skull.

“you can depend on us knuckleheads, yeah?” He smiled, sadly. The pup’s gaze remained fixed on him, notably calmer.   


“OF COURSE THEY CAN." Papyrus, now completely normal-looking, drew in a deep breath. “HERE, NOW…”   


He unwrapped his scarf. The pup looked up at it as it descended around their back, neck and shoulders. Sans was afraid they would think themselves trapped - but they nuzzled into the warmth, the red in their eye sockets paling.

“… I’M GOING TO GET THOSE PUZZLES.” Papyrus said, quietly. Sans looked up at him with a nod.   


“not a bad idea, bro. if it’s anything like what’s happened with us, it might be a good memory prompt.” He looked down at Frisk, who seemed to have quietened down. “the kid’ll pick up where you guys left off.”   


Papyrus petted Frisk briefly. “I’LL BE RIGHT BACK, OKAY?”

Frisk whined quietly at his departure. They snuggled in deeper into Papyrus’ scarf, the red in their eyesockets paling further.

“easy, baby bones. he'll be back." Sans said, softly.

The pup looked up at him. They looked about as exhausted as he felt.

"… we’re gonna figure out what happened, okay kiddo?” He said. “no bones about it.”

Frisk remembered themself, as soon as Papyrus returned with the puzzles. Their eyesockets now white-lit and clear, their awareness had returned.

They remained in Sans’ arms, wrapped in Papyrus’ scarf, for the rest of the evening.

They were too uneasy to fully relax.

But they felt safe enough to drift off to sleep.


	11. Something New - Oneshot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Requested by Hasilith.

He was alone.

Trees stretched up above him. He wasn’t sure how he’d gotten here, but he felt relaxed. He was calm. Maybe a little sore, but everything was okay. Someone would find him. He just had to wait.

He didn’t know how he knew. He just did. And for the moment, that was enough.

And he was alright with waiting, as a tiny distraction had made itself known on the dirt ground, sparkling in the dappled sunlight.

It had caught his eye as he’d glanced around the woods, listening and looking for any other presences. But now, he was fascinated by this tiny object.

Had he seen anything like this before?

The beast wasn’t sure. Sometimes he didn’t know things that he already knew. It was something that happened sometimes.

It was okay, though. He just had to wait, and he would know the things that he didn’t know right now. That always happened, in the end.

The Thing made a nice “clink” noise when he tapped at it with a claw. It rolled across the ground when he pushed it. It was see-through. It was green.

He tapped at it again, with a fascinated croon. It also sparkled, in the sunlight. And he could see something inside it. Water! It stayed inside the thing, no matter where he rolled it.

It was also fragile. He learned this when it rolled into a rock and a line suddenly snaked down it.

It was very interesting. He wondered what it could be. Where it came from.

A small skeleton arrived on the scene a few moments later. The beast chirped an amiable greeting to him, still rolling the Thing back and forth with his claws.

He didn’t need to wait, anymore. 

The small skeleton reached out to pet his skull.

“sorry i didn’t make it in time, bro.” He said, with a sigh. “looks like you kept yourself entertained, though.”   


The beast chirped. He knew that he knew the skeleton. He knew that the skeleton knew him.

And with practiced focus, the beast began to know everything that he had forgotten.

  


* * *

 

 

That evening, Papyrus changed back.

It had been months since he'd last changed. He was sore all over, and Undyne had carried him to the couch, and Frisk had dragged a woollen blanket over him. Sans had given him the TV remote for the night, and the two were currently watching some MTT reruns.

"gimme a heads up if ya need anything else, bro." Sans said. "...you were stuck like that for a while, after all."

Papyrus sleepily nodded, sipping at a warm mug of milk.

"ALRIGHT. THANK YOU, SANS."

There was a silence.

“get up to anythin' cool, out in the woods?”   


With renewed energy, Papyrus spun to him, eyes shining.

“I REDISCOVERED HOW COOL GLASS BOTTLES WERE!!!”


	12. Inverted - Oneshot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one ties into my main fic, Spectrum. It's a what-if scenario in which Sans actually listened to Owel that fateful night and returned home to Snowdin. The end result is that in Gaster's attempt to infiltrate their Snowdin home, Papyrus is the one who gets mutagen-ised, instead. Gaster is incarcerated, and he and the Science Crew remain in existence.
> 
> And Sans is very unhappy.
> 
> This one's requested by deaderrose.

The first thing Sans noted about Snowed Inn was that it was silent.

Its interior was dark, and quiet. The warmth that it had exuded was gone. 

The receptionist desk was empty. Mrs Lago had gone to stay with her sister, after the terrible events that had taken place. 

Greatest Dog remained in the entrance hall, standing dutifully near the stairway. He’d been assigned there, under the request of Owel, the acting Royal Scientist.

Reno was fast asleep on the couch - eye bandaged and arm in a splint. He’d been assigned to provide status updates of the situation, but he was exhausted - having kept watch for nights on end.

Sans slowly closed the door behind him.

He didn’t want to be here.

It wouldn’t do any good.

The young skeleton had been sent back home against his wishes. He’d been forced by Val, who had given him absolutely no room for argument. Sans had yelled at them - he _had_ to stay. He  _had_ to stay and find a cure for his brother. Or at least find a way to get Gaster to cough up any kind of way to counteract the damn mutagen.

How could Sans help Papyrus if he was away from the Lab?    


Val had glared at him with finality.

_“You must go to him. He’s afraid. He_ **_needs_ ** _you.”_ _  
_

Sans' eyesockets grew dark, and he glared at the floor.

He remembered shrieking. He remembered the hostile snap of jaws and the lash of small claws. Sans still remembered the glowing orange eyes, wide and fierce, leaving trails in the dark. He’d snapped at him repeatedly, snarled, backed away from him.

Papyrus… or what Papyrus had _become_ … didn’t need him. 

Gaster had completely screwed up his brother’s mind. There was no getting through to him. He’d tried.

Papyrus wasn’t really Papyrus, anymore. 

It wouldn’t matter if Sans was right there in front of him - the small Blaster had not recognised him. 

Gaster had taken his little brother and turned him into something completely different. And Sans needed to bring Papyrus back…

He couldn’t do that. Not here.

Here, he was _useless_.

He passed by the slumbering Reno, whose ears were cocked back in his sleep. He looked tired, and uncomfortable. 

Greatest Dog looked down at Sans as he approached. He gave a small wag of his tail, before looking up the stairs.

Sans followed his gaze. It was dark, and quiet.

”… did he break out?”

The Greatest Dog shook his head. Sans looked back at him, his gaze growing accusatory.

”did you _check_?”

A nod.

Sans looked up the stairs, once more.

”… thanks.”

The meander up the steps was painfully slow. But regardless, he ended up having his hand resting on the doorknob to Papyrus’ room sooner than he’d wanted.

They’d kept it locked. He dug the keys out of his pocket with shaking hands.

The Blaster hadn’t made any move to escape, since they’d recovered it in the woods. But they’d chosen to be safe about it - at least until they had a better place to secure the small creature.

Sans drew in a breath.

He really didn’t want to see the Blaster, right now. It wasn’t really dangerous to him - it was weak, it didn’t shoot lasers. He could keep it steady with a BLUE attack just fine. 

He just didn’t want to see what his little brother had become.

He inserted the key, turned it, and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

The room was dark, lit by the evening glow of the Underground shining through the single window.

Sans had expected to see the room in shambles. Sheets ripped up, torn to shreds. Maybe some scratches and claw marks. But the only mess was an unmade bed - Sans’ own. 

And the Blaster was nowhere to be seen.

Sans’ SOUL dropped.

He rushed over to the window, looking to see if it had been left open (or smashed.) But he paused in his stride when he heard a series of soft whines.

Sans turned away from the window. 

The noises were coming from below his brother’s bed.

Hesitantly, Sans approached. He knelt to look into the darkness.

And two, glowing white eyes stared back.

Sans was tackled to the floor as the Blaster charged out at him, yelping loudly. 

In a mix of fear and frustration, Sans reflexively lashed out with a BLUE attack. The creature silenced instantly as it hung in the air above him, eyesockets wide.

The Blaster wore his brother’s clothing. It was frayed and warped, and a little dirty, now. His red snow boots had warped, curling around the small creature's hind legs.

A nausea rose in Sans.

When his brother had… changed, his clothes had vanished. But when they’d found him in the woods, after he’d escaped the ordeal with Gaster, they had seemingly reappeared in a twisted, fragmented fashion.

Like some kind of mockery, on Gaster’ part.

Sans hated it.

He directed the Blaster’s SOUL towards the corner of the room, his eyesockets dark.   
  
“don’t do that again.” Sans said, as he dropped him to the floor.

The Blaster landed clumsily, in silence. It looked up at him, starting to tremble. Its tail was curled between his legs, and Sans looked away.

The Blaster was scared of him. Just like last time.

Sans buried his head in his hands.

… what was he _doing_ here?

He couldn’t help Papyrus like this. He couldn’t do anything to calm him down. It was counterproductive - Val didn’t understand.

He sat up against the frame of the bed, his eye sockets going black. 

There was nothing he could do. And he was tired.

He was so _tired_. 

Sans’ thoughts were interrupted when something nudged into his side. 

He was close to reflexively shoving it away. He didn’t want to be bothered, let alone touched. But his arms remained limp at his sides, as the Blaster pup reappeared at his left, looking up at his face.

Sans gave a quiet sigh. It was probably hungry.

“… i don’t have anything for ya.”    


He was surprised when the Blaster’s expression seemed to contort into a frown.

It shoved him in the side, nearly pushing him over. Sans braced his side with a startled grunt, turning to glare at it.

“hey - !”   


Sans froze.

The Blaster Pup was looking up at him. And this time, he stared hard at the pup’s features.

Had it always been this expressive?

He couldn’t deny that it looked… hurt. Frustrated. There were tearstains on his skull… and now, it looked as if more were about to spill forth.   


Sans sat up, turning his body to face the pup. His hands were braced on the floor.

… hadn’t the pup’s eyes been glowing orange, last time?

The Blaster looked down at the floor a moment. Then, he scurried off to the bedside table. Sans watched as he managed to stand on his hind legs, claws firmly grasping the edge.

Sans hand suddenly reached out, prepared to perform a BLUE attack when he realized the pup was grabbing a book from the table. But he hesitated when the Blaster simply trotted back to him with the book held gently between his jaws.

He dropped the book in Sans’ lap.

Sans’ hand fell to his side.

Peek-A-Boo With Fluffy Bunny.   


His SOUL bottomed out, and unbidden tears began to spill from his eyesockets.

“… _again_?” He asked, his voice cracking.   


The Blaster pawed at him, whimpering softly.

And Sans looked back at him. 

And realized that his brother was miserable. 

And afraid. 

And confused. 

And there. He was right there. Papyrus was right there.

And he swept the book aside, and reached out and pulled the pup into a tight hug, huge silent sobs wracking his body.   


He hadn’t gone anywhere. Papyrus hadn’t disappeared at all.

And Sans had just treated him like he _had_.

“… i’m _sorry._ ” He whispered. “i’m so sorry, bro.”

Papyrus couldn’t hug him back. He couldn’t _speak._  

And Sans felt him lean into the hug as hard as he possibly could, a mournful wail rising from his little brother.

“hey…” Sans tried to recover his voice. “hey… heyheyhey it’s… it’s okay. it’s okay… i’ve gotcha. i’ve got you, baby bones.”   


He held him close, trying to hug the shakiness away. And when Papyrus finally pulled away from him, he looked very tired, and very upset, and Sans _hated_ that he hadn’t recognised it sooner. 

He stroked his brother’s snout, managing to give a weak smile.

“… i didn’t know it was you.” He said, quietly. “m’sorry, bro. it won’t happen again, okay?”   


Papyrus' expression seemed to soften a little, and a pang rose in Sans, knowing that he'd probably be the most frightened and frustrated about the situation - no hands, no voice...

But he nuzzled into his jacket, much like he had in his normal form when he was seeking comfort. 

Sans held onto his claw, pulling the sheet from the bed behind him and covering them both. Papyrus awkwardly managed to curl up on his lap, and rested his head on Sans' knee with a small sigh.

Not feral. Not afraid.

Sans drew in a shaking breath.

Something had _changed_. Something about the situation had changed, and Sans didn’t know what. 

But this was clearly his brother. That hadn't changed.

That would never change.

 

He exhaled, his gaze flicking over to the storybook, still within arm's reach on the carpet. He reached out, picking it up. 

Papyrus’ head rose, as Sans flicked it open. He held it in front of his brother's skull.

“… remember where we were, bro?” He asked, disguising the shakiness in his voice.   


Catching on, Papyrus nosed through a few pages, before resting his head on the centre of the page spread. 

 

And Sans began to quietly read to him, like he did every night. 


End file.
